So much to do, so much to do. The cover copy for all 3 books is up now (yay!). Plus, I’ve been getting some very nice blurbs in from other authors. To say that I am so very grateful is a vast understatement, and I’ll be unrolling those as things go along.

Here is where we are:

Book One: in the page proofs stage. That is, me proofreading the typesetter’s work. They’ve done a few interesting things with the interior design, which is cool.

Book Two: in the second round of edits, which must be done today Or Else.

Book Three: on the workbench. I am loving the opening which, of course, may or may not end up as the actual opening.

There are also related shorts coming out, and three out of four are complete. Only one is what I would legitimately call short, though. I write long, and short stories always end up like puppies with big feet–they keep growing and growing in the most alarming way.

There is nothing quite so motivating as a goal post, and now I have actual release dates for the books. Yippee! and Yikes!

In other news, my second short story is accepted and the third begun. These are meant to be promo pieces for ebook extras, but they’re turning into actual incidents in the overall plot arc, so we’ll see how that works out. This is the down side of having a lot of interesting secondary characters…given half a chance, they seize the limelight. I thought the short story idea was perfect for giving them their fifteen minutes, but noooooo–they have to take over the whole freaking storyline and then hand it back all rumpled when they’re done.

And in record time. The box was waiting for me when I got home with my manuscript inside – and a lot of work to do!

I go through what must be a fairly typical cycle when I read the editorial comments. At first, outrage at being so egregiously misunderstood, and then I calm down enough to actually read the notes properly. Then they’re either not as bad as I thought, or not as good as I thought. This results in tea, self-pity, resignation, gloom. Then comes resignation, hope, determination and–after many tiny violins–actual work.

Of course, once I actually do the edits and realize the editor was right, then I wonder what all the fuss was about. Writers are such odd beasts!